as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
your smelly sneakers are enough to raise the dead
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Recent Examples of smelly
Gasoline is dirty, smelly, toxic, and environmentally reprobate.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026
This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The Apollo astronauts occasionally had to deal with smelly situations, including some fecal matter that escaped the waste bag and floated through the capsule during Apollo 10 in 1969.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
There are two reasons a clog happens: Larger pieces of food may become trapped in the drain if the dishes are not scraped before loading them into the machine, or sludge and food buildup from smaller residue on dishes accumulate in the drain over time leading to a smelly clog.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026
This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The Apollo astronauts occasionally had to deal with smelly situations, including some fecal matter that escaped the waste bag and floated through the capsule during Apollo 10 in 1969.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
There are two reasons a clog happens: Larger pieces of food may become trapped in the drain if the dishes are not scraped before loading them into the machine, or sludge and food buildup from smaller residue on dishes accumulate in the drain over time leading to a smelly clog.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelly
Adjective
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Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Compost Deodorizer Baking soda can deodorize our fridge, so why not use it on a stinky compost pile?—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
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Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Putting in the elbow grease can be more powerful than a flashy college degree or pedigree—and the former Goldman Sachs CEO said great careers are actually ripe for the picking if professionals seize the moment and work hard.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Before then, Venus and Uranus are lighting up your local world and social life, making the first two weeks ripe for spontaneous adventure closer to home.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Food that needed to be trashed for age or temperature abuse, malodorous air and filthy food containers were among the 33 violations an inspector found at a popular Miami seafood restaurant.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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Gladwin iris or roast-beef plant (Iris foetidissima) has malodorous foliage when crushed.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After neighbors in October 2023 reported foul odors from the Penrose funeral home, officials arrested the couple in November 2023, in Oklahoma.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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An investigation into the funeral home began in October 2023 when neighbors reported a foul odor to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The water is disgusting-looking.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
These words then take on guilt by association because of the things we have been socialized to find unpleasant, uncomfortable, or disgusting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Reach-in coolers that didn’t keep food safe from bacteria growth and utensils stored in filthy spots shut down a Miami restaurant after inspection last week.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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Stanley dealers were not in cutthroat competition for filthy lucre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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